It Began with a Thunderstorm
by FaithInHim4ever
Summary: Sequel to “Melody’s First Day of School.” When a thunderstorm keeps the children inside for recess, Ariel teaches them a new twist on an old game and tells them the story of how she came up with it. R/R


DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TLM. They belong to Disney. I do however own Melody Noelle Coralsen, along with anyone else you don't recognize.

God loves you  
Enjoy!

"It Began with a Thunder Storm"

Ariel smiled around at the twelve three to four year olds around her. She loved her job as a teacher's assistant very much. But there were some days like today, when she wished she could do more for her young charges.

It had been raining since early that morning. This meant the children were confined to the classroom during recess.

Some of the kids, like Melody and Kassie were okay with this as long as they could draw or play house.

But most of the other children preferred to go outside to play.

Some of the children, like Sophie, were afraid of thunder storms.

She had been stuck to Ariel like glue ever since the first thunder clap sounded throughout the sky outside.

Melody was afraid of them too. But she knew her mother had to help the other kids, so she tried to be as brave as she could

Melody voiced what the others were thinking as more rain splattered against the windows.

"Mommy, we're bored!"

Ariel frowned.

"You are?" She asked giving her daughter a warm smile.

"Yeah!" Stephanie piped up. "There's nothing to do."

"I don't know about that." The young redhead disagreed. "Would you guys like me to read you a story?"

All twelve children shook their heads.

"Stories are fun on rainy days sometimes." Kassie said. "But we wanna play a game."

The others quickly agreed.

"Yeah!" A girl named Emily cheered. "A game! Please, Miss Ariel?"

Ariel hadn't insisted the children call her 'Miss, but some of them did because their parents had raised them a certain way.

"Mommy, please?" Melody begged.

Ariel grinned.

"How can I say no after everyone used their nice words. All right, we can play a game."

"YES!" The children cheered at once.

"What can we play?" Kassie mused. She put her finger on her chin in thought.

Stephanie shrugged.

"I'm not sure."

"We wanna move around." Another girl named Shaina declared.

"You wanna move around, huh?" Ariel repeated thoughtfully.

Emily nodded.

"Sitting around all the time is boring!"

Ariel giggled.

"Well, if moving around is what you're after, I know a game that will help you do that." She smiled around at all of them as she spoke.

"Really?" Kassie asked.

"What is it?" Stephanie inquired. "What is it?"

Ariel giggled.

Stephanie had really come out of her shell since her first days of pre-school.

"It's called Ariel says." She replied.

The children looked at her in confusion. All except Melody.

"I thought it was Simon says?" A girl named Samantha asked.

"It is normally." Ariel assured her. "But my version is different. The rules are the same, but instead of Simon, I use my own name. The other difference is I make a song out of it too!"

"Awesome! It sounds fun!" Stephanie declared. "Come on, let's play!"

"All right. I need everyone to stand up. And remember, listen and try to do what I say. But if I don't say 'Ariel says, and you do what I said, you're out. Understand?"

"Yes!" The children chorused in unison.

"Okay. Let's go!" With that, the game began.

The children had a good time as did Ariel.

"Ariel says let's hop around. Now touch your hands to the ground, so early in the morning. Listen close to what I said, put your hands on your head." Ariel instructed them.

Stephanie did so before thinking.

"Uh-oh!" Melody said when she saw Stephanie's actions. "Oops!" Stephanie said with a giggle. She sat down without a problem.

The game continued for about twenty-minutes before Ariel announced it was almost lunchtime.

They played for ten more minutes and then she called them to wash their hands for lunch.

"That was fun!" Stephanie announced as she dried her hands and went to sit down beside Melody and Kassie.

"Yeah Mommy!" Melody agreed. "That was awesome!"

"Aw, I'm glad you guys had fun." Ariel said as she hugged Melody and then Stephanie.

"How did you come up with Ariel says?" Miss Anna asked as the kids started to eat.

"Well, it was back when I was fourteen." She began. "I was baby-sitting a few kids back home and they were bored."

"Like we were today!" Kassie chimed in as she took a bite of her ham and cheese sandwich.

"Exactly." Ariel affirmed. "We started to play Simon says, when I got an idea…."

"Will you tell us the story?" Sophie asked from her spot next to Kassie on her right.

"Sure!" Ariel agreed. "But you'll have to wait until after lunch. I'll tell it to everyone before naptime."

The children liked this idea.

After lunch was over and everyone had washed their hands once again, they gathered around Ariel on the story rug.

As she started the story, her mind floated back to the day in question nearly ten years before…

Ariel grinned around at her three charges for the next few hours.

A good friend of the family had asked Ariel to watch her children for her while she ran a few errands.

Ariel had accepted the job almost immediately. She loved children and these three were pretty good most of the time.

They were six, eleven and four.

As thunder rumbled above them, the six-year-old whose name was Naia, sighed. She loved Ariel a lot and enjoyed spending time with her.

"I'm bored!" She announced. "I wanna play outside."

Ariel smiled as she cuddled the child close.

"You can't play outside when it's raining, silly." She said as she embraced her.

"Why not?" Naia's younger sister, Arcadia asked.

"Because you'll get electrocuted by lightning, stupid! Don't you know anything?" Their older brother, Marlin stated.

"Marlin, it's not nice to call someone stupid." Ariel reminded him. "Especially a member of your family. Say you're sorry right now."

Marlin sighed, but did as Ariel had instructed. He knew he had to listen to her or risk a telling off by his mother.

"Sorry." He mumbled. He then left to see what Urchin was doing.

Arcadia gazed up at Ariel fearfully.

"Are we gonna be lectricuted?"

Ariel shook her head as she hugged the youngest one close.

"No. Lightning can't hurt you if you're indoors." She assured her.

Arcadia seemed satisfied with this answer. She trusted Ariel just like she trusted Naia and their mother.

"Do you feel better now?" Ariel asked while ruffling the child's brown hair.

Arcadia nodded.

"Good. I'm glad."

"I'm still bored!" Naia complained.

"Yeah." Arcadia chimed in. "Let's play a game!"

"Can we, Ariel? Can we? Please?" Naia begged. She gazed up at Ariel with her big blue eyes full of hope.

"Sure!" Ariel agreed. "But we need to think of which one first. And it can't be a wild one. Remember, we're in the house."

Naia nodded.

"Okay." She said.

It was then that Ariel got an idea.

"I know a game we can play." She said.

"What is it?" Naia asked eagerly.

"Well, it's called Simon says. I'll show you. When I tell you to do something, you have to do it. But if I don't say 'Simon says and you do what I say anyway, you're out. Do you understand?"

Both girls nodded, but Naia started giggling.

"What's so funny, Miss Naia?" Ariel asked as she tickled her ribs.

"Your name's not Simon!" Naia said through her giggles.

"You're right." Ariel agreed. "I have an idea! Why don't' we call it Ariel says then?"

'YAY!" Both girls cheered in unison. With that, the game began.

A little while into it, Marlin returned. He and Urchin had just got done playing spongeball with some of Urchin's guy friends. Adella had also joined in the game after it had gotten started.

"What are you guys doing?" He asked curiously.

"Having fun!" Arcadia answered.

Marlin rolled his eyes.

"What are you playing?"  
"Ariel says!" Arcadia said as she put her finger on her nose.

Ariel giggled as did Naia.

"I didn't say 'Ariel says." The teenager reminded the four-year-old.

Marlin tried to act like the game didn't interest him, but it was hard.

After watching his sisters and Ariel play for a little while, he finally asked to be included.

"Can I play too?"

"Sure!" Ariel agreed. "Let's start a new game."

"Wait a minute!" Naia said suddenly. "You're a boy."

"So?" Marlin shot back.

"This game is for girls." She declared.

Ariel shook her head.

"No it's not." She told her. "This game is for everyone! Come on, we'll start a new round…" With that, they began to play again….

Ariel grinned as her mind floated back to the present.

"Marlin acts like my brother, Cody." Kassie commented. "He's always telling me what to do."

Ariel giggled.

"Older brothers can be like that. And older sisters too." She added, thinking of her family back home in Atlantica.

"That was a neat story!" Stephanie said as a yawn escaped her lips.

"I liked it too!" Savannah declared.

"I'm glad. All right, everyone. It's soon time for nap." She announced.

Most of the kids went without fuss. Stephanie was almost asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

Ariel patted some of the kids to try and help them fall asleep. She also sung to them.

As she was patting Stephanie, she noticed Kassie's eyes were still open. She was looking at her.

"Kass, are you okay?" Ariel asked.

"Uh-huh." The little girl replied.

"Well, it's time to go to sleep now. Close your eyes." She said.

"I can't." Kassie replied. Her tone wasn't one of defiance. She had said it as a statement.

"Why not?" Ariel inquired in concern. She thought maybe Kassie was afraid of something or was worried about something to come.

Grinning a little, Kassie replied, "You didn't' say Ariel says."

Ariel giggled as she finished patting Stephanie. She walked over to where Kassie was laying and ruffled her auburn hair as she started to pat her.

"Oh Kass." She said while shaking her head. A soft laugh escaped her lips just then. "You're too much sometimes." With that, she continued to pat the little girl until she saw her eyes close.

THE END


End file.
